Hat-forming dies



May 28, 1929. o s 1,715,228

HAT FORMING DIES Filed Sept. 20, 1928 ZSheets-Sheet 2 3 1 0.17112 son Patented May 28, 1929.

3 r I misses mam FRANK '0. EBICKSQN, o1? s'r. LOUIS, ivr ssonian HAT-FORMING ins.

Application filed September 20, 1928. Serial No. 307,317.

This invention relates to dies used for forming and pressinghat blanks 1n particular shapes. I

Heretofore hats have been pressed between metal stamping diesbut because of the unevenness of the metal it has been impossible to apply an even pressure to the entlre surface of the hat, with the result that the hat shape produced was not evenly pressed or finished and in some places the unevenness was very apparent and impaired the appearance of the product. r

The general object of the present lnvention is to'provide an elastic rubber form carried by one of the dies and hydraulically forced outward against the other die by water pressure to thereby secure an evenly ClLS" tributed pressure against the entire hat. shape, with the result of producing an evenly pressed hat. i

A further object is to provide a construction which will press hat shapes of various thick nesses for thereason that the elastic rubber form and thewater space between it and the supporting die allows a variation in the space between theinner die and the form, whereas where two metal dies are used only a hat of the thickness of the space between the two dies can be so pressed and new dies are required where hats of various thicknesses are to be pressed.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which is so constructed that the steam or water vapor developed within the water space or water chamber by the heat of the outside die may be released, thus preventing any bulging in the rubber caused by the collection of this steam or vapor.

Another object is to provide means whereby any excessive steam pressure may be automatically relieved, thus preventing explosions.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 -is a vertical sectional view" through a hat forming die constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevationthereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the sameplane as Figure 1 but showing the valve raised. r Referring to these drawings, 10 designates thetbase of the die, which may be of any suit able construction, and .11 designates the inner die which is mounted upon this base and is provided with a plurality of openingslQ leading from the interior of the die to the eX- terior thereof. .The base ;is providedywith seats 13 upon which the marginal edge of the inner die '11 fits and theinner die is formed with the outwardly projecting flange 14' i which is equal in width to the width of this seat 13. Coacting with the inner die is an outer die 15 which has the same general shape as the inner die but is larger than this inner die.

Disposed in spaced'relation to the inner die 11 and having its margin restlng against the outer face of the seat 13 is an elastic rubber form,'designated 16. This rubber formis formed of relatively'thick rubber'and conforms in general shapeto the form of the dies 11 and 15, but it is supported in spaced rela- This rubberform carries at itsapex or upper end an integral valve 17 and the inner form or die ll is formed with avalveseat 18 at its apex in which this valve 80. Extending downward from a central open- 1 ing l9 in the inner die. is a tube 20 which tion to the die 11.

17 is adapted to fit.

opens into said seat 18. The lower end of this tube extends through the base 10 and op-, erating through the tubeis a valve stem 2l which engages the valve 17. Y The lower end I of this valve stem 21 rests upon a valve spring 1 22 which acts to urge the valve. stem upward. The outer 'surfa'ceof the valvel7 is provided wlth a lug 23 and the outerdie 15 at its apex is provided with a recessfztto receive this lug. It will be understood, however, that the lug and recess may be omitted.

For the purpose of holding the rubber form v 16 in place, I providea retaining'ring 25 which extends around and confronts the seat 13, this ring being angular in cross section and being heldin place by the screws 26'.

These screws hold this binding ring 25 down tightly against the base and clamp against the projecting margin of the rubber form 16. It will be seenthat the rubber form 16-is held in spaced relation to the inner die 11 so that. a

water space'27 is provided between the inner die and the rubber form. This water space communicatesthrough the openings 12 with the interior of the inner die and water is.sup-

plied to the interior ofthe inner die under pressure by means of the water inlet pipe 28. The top die is provided with the usual clutch bar 29. I have not illustrated the means whereby the top die is supported and forced down onto thelowerdie, as this forms no part of my invention and such means is while the water is flowing into the die and the water'space. The valve is adjusted by means of the valve stem and the spring forces this valve upward whenthe pressure applied by the'outside'or upper die is released. Thus this valve works automatically. This valve is soadjusted that when no pressure is applied to the outside die, the valve is opened, permitting-air, gas and steam to escape, but when the Water space is tilled with water and the outside die lowers, thisvalve closes so that the entire water space on the inside of the inner die is completely filled to capacity with water. Hydraulic pressure is then applied to the water and the elastic covering on the inside of the outer die is forced out ward by the hydraulic pressure and presses against the hat shape which is fitted over the elastic covering and the hat is pressed into the,

desired shape between this elastic covering and the inside of the outer die. I

The advantage of this construction is that thehydraulic pressure applied to the inside Y face of the elastic rubber form secures an evenly distributed pressure against the hat shape and-the result is an evenly pressed hat. An evenly pressed hat is not possible where met-a1 dies are used because of the unevenness of the metal, it beingpractically impossible to secure an absolutely parallel surface throughout the entire confronting surfaces of the pair of dies. Theresult is that the hat shape produced is not evenly pressed or fin- .ished and sometimes this unevenness is very apparent and impairs the appearance of the product. This is entirely eliminated by my construction. 7

Another advantage of this construction is that it will press hat shapes of various thicknesses because the elastic rubber form and the water space allowsfor variation in the space between the inner die and the elastic rubber form, whereas where metal dies are used only ing or form. v

2. A hat formlng means comprising an lIlthe rubber will be caused, and this relief of the steam is secured by the automatic valve 17 above referred to. This will preventany undue bulging of the rubber form and at the sametime serves as a safety valve and prevents explosions caused by the expansion of the steam. I

It will be understood, of course, that the innerdie and the outer die may have any desired form and that I doiiot Wish to be limited to the form illustrated as this form or shape will depend entirely upon'the character of the hats being pressed. Neither do I wish to be limited to the details of construction as these might be modified in man T ways without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim t l. A hat forming means comprising inner and outer dies, an elastic covering or form having water-tight engagement at its margin with the inner die but separate therefrom, the inner die having openings. leading from the interior of the inner die to thespace between it andthe elastic covering, and means for forcing fluid under pressure'into the interior of the inner die and thus into the space between the inner die and-the elastic coverner die and an outer die, an elastic covering or form fitting over the inner die but separate therefrom, means for holding this form in fluid-tight contact with the base of the inner die, and means for forcing fluid under pressure into the space between the inner die and said elastic form. v 4

3. A hat forming means comprising aninner die and an outer die, an elastic covering or form fitting over the'inner die but separate therefrom, means for holding this form in fluid-tight contact with the base of the inner die, means for forcing fluid under pressure into the space between the inner die and said elastic form, and means for automatically relieving excess pressure between the inner die and said form. e

i. A hat forming means comprisingan innor die and an outer die fitting over the inner die, a base upon which the inner-die is mounted and 'upon'which the outer die is adapted to rest at its margin, the inner die being hollow and provided with a plurality of openings leading to the outer face thereof, an

elastic covering or form fitting over the inner die but separate therefrom and having water-tight engagement with the base, and means for forcing .water under pressure into the interior of the inner die and so into the space between the inner die and the elastic form to thus force the elastic form. out

againstthe outer die. 3

5. A- hat forming means comprising a base having a die seat, a hollow inner die mounted upon said base and having its margin resting against said seat, an elastic covering or form fitting loosely over the inner die but separate therefrom and .having its margin extending downward over the outer edge of said seat, a clamping ring holding the margin of the form in place against the seat, an outer die larger than but conforming in general shape to the inner die and adapted to fit over said rubber covering, and means for forcing water under pressure into the space between the inner die and said elastic covering.

6. A hat forming means comprising a base having a die seat, a hollow inner die mounted upon said base and having its margin resting against said seat, an elastic covering or form fitting loosely over the inner die but separate therefrom and having its margin extending downward over the outer edge of said seat, a clamping ring holding the margin of the form in place against the seat, an outer die larger than but conforming in general shape to the inner die and adapted to fit over said rubber covering, means for forcing water under pressure into the space between the inner die and said elastic covering including a plu rality of openings extending through the inner die to the outer face thereof, and a water inlet extending through said base into the interior of the inner die and connected to a source of water under pressure. I

'Z. A hat forming means comprising a base having a die seat, a hollow inner die mounted upon said seat and having its margin resting against said seat, an elastic covering or form fitting loosely over the inner die but separate therefrom and having its margin extending downward over the outer edge of said seat, a clamping ring holding the margin of the form in place against the seat, an outer die larger than but conforming in general shape to the inner die and adapted to fit over said rubber covering. means for forcing water" under pressure into the space between the inner die and said elastic covering including a plurality of openings extending through the inner die to the outer face thereof, and a water inlet extending through said base into the interior of the inner die and connected to a source of water under pressure, the inner die being formed with an air and steam outlet extending through the base and against said seat, an elastic covering or form fitting loosely over the inner dle but separate therefrom and having its margin extending downward over the outer edge of 52nd seat, a

clamping ring holding the margin of the form in place against the seat, an outer die larger than but conforming in general shape to the inner die and adapted to fit over said rubber covering, means for forc ng water under pressure into the space between the in ner die and said elastic covering including a plurality of openings extending through the inner die to the outer face thereof, and a water inlet extending through said base'into the interior of the inner die and connected to a source of water under pressure, the inner die being formed with an air and steam outlet extending through the base,the elastic covering being formed with a valve normally seating in said air outlet and preventing the escape of vapor therefrom when the outer die is in place but being urged away from the outlet when the outer die is out of contact with the elastic form. r

9. Al hat forming mechanism of the character described comprising a; base, an inner die seated. upon the base, a rubber covering or form extending over the outside surface of the inner die but separated therefrom, an outer die adapted to fit over the rubber covering, the inner die being provided with an air outlet pipe extending through the base and with a valve seat at the apex of the inner die, an opening in the said air outlet, the form being provided with a valve normally seating in said seat when the outer die is pressed toward the rubber covering, a valve stem engaging said valve and extending down through the air outlet passage, a spring urging the valve stem upward and the valve from its seat, and meansfor forcing liquid under pressure into the space between the inner die and the rubber covering or form.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANK o. En oKsoN. 

